Monday’s Mini-Report

* As promised, Senate Republicans blocked a vote to start debate on Wall Street reform this afternoon. In a rather ridiculous move, Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) joined with the GOP, proving once again just how embarrassing he can be.

* Iraq: “Seven weeks after Iraqis went to the polls, a special elections court disqualified a winning parliamentary candidate, likely reversing the narrow defeat of Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki’s coalition and possibly allowing him the first chance to form a new coalition government.”

* Encouraging: “The recovery is shaping up to be stronger than expected and there is little risk the economy will slip back into a recession, according to USA TODAY’s quarterly survey of 46 leading economists.”

* Maybe this will have an impact on the policy debate? “Coast Guard officials said Monday afternoon that the oil spill near Louisiana was now covering an area in the Gulf of Mexico of 48 miles by 39 miles at its widest points, and they have been unable to engage a mechanism that could shut off the well thousands of feet below the ocean’s surface.”

* Should be an interesting case: “The Supreme Court, wading into a thicket of free-speech and children’s rights issues, agreed Monday to decide whether California can ban the sale or rental of violent video games to minors.”

* On a related note, there will be no announcement this week on the next Supreme Court nominee.